ISEE Upper Level Verbal : Two-Blank Sentences

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ISEE Upper Level Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #41 : Two Blank Sentences

After many years of living as a __________, Henry decided to find a fixed _________ and cease his years of wandering. 

Possible Answers:

contractor . . . gradation

vagabond . . . habitation

tourist . . . apartment

raconteur . . . citizenship

carnie . . . location

Correct answer:

vagabond . . . habitation

Explanation:

From the context of the sentence, we can tell that Harry was living as a wandering person. While tourisim could (in a broad sense) be considered "wandering about" to see things, this is really a far stretch. The word "vagabond," however, literally does mean "a person who wanders around," often having no means of employment. This would well describe Harry's state. After these years of wandering, he wants to find somewhere to "settle down." That is, he wants to find a "homeplace" (of sorts, at least). The word "habitation" means a living place, often implying fixity or stability.

Example Question #2 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The key to overcoming __________ is keeping your __________ in the face of painful and difficult situations.

Possible Answers:

adversity . . . composure

circumlocution . . . candor

discrepancy . . . frivolity

trouble . . . vulnerability

ardor . . . virtue

Correct answer:

adversity . . . composure

Explanation:

The first blank is the easiest to fill in because it is something difficult that you will have to overcome. Adversity and trouble could both fit here, so we look at the second blank, which requires a positive quality that will help you though tough times. Vulnerability does not fit here, so "adversity . . . composure" is the correct answer. 

Example Question #42 : Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Whether alone in their houses or gathered in a great __________, the citizens of the state had very little knowledge about the details pertaining to the overwhelming __________ of global politics, with its many actors and numerous concerns.

Possible Answers:

polity . . . discussions

vanguard . . . meetings

quorum . . . dealings

multitude . . . complexity

legislature . . . corruption

Correct answer:

multitude . . . complexity

Explanation:

The first blank is best known by the implied contrast with "alone." In contrast to being alone, one can be gathered in a group. A "multitude" is a large number of people or things together. It is clearly related to "multiply" and "multiple." All of these words come from the Latin meaning "many." The answer for the second blank is best figured out by looking to the subordinate clause beginning "with its many." This clause describes global politics as having many actors (that is, people doing things) and numerous concerns. The implication is that it is "complex."

Example Question #3 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Conspiracy theorists still question the __________ of anyone landing on the moon, saying that the landing by Neil Armstrong was a __________.

Possible Answers:

reality . . . modicum

plausibility . . . hoax

utopia . . . trick

authenticity . . . fact

reputation . . . toxin

Correct answer:

plausibility . . . hoax

Explanation:

Conspiracy theorists generally question the truth behind certain events. So in this case, they would think that the moon landing was fake. We can easily fill in the second blank first by picking a word that would mean the landing was fake. This could be trick or hoax. Looking at the first blank, we can say that they questioned the truth or possibility of the moon landing, and the word that fits here would be plausibility. 

Example Question #5 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Unfortunately, most people judge others based on __________; few look beyond external __________ when choosing friends.

Possible Answers:

appearances . . . features

opinions . . . facts

qualities . . . abilities

integrity . . . character

feelings . . . emotions

Correct answer:

appearances . . . features

Explanation:

Your clue words here are "unfortunately" and "external." "External" means located or seen on the outside or surface of something. You are looking for two synonyms which primarily have to do with externality. So, the answer choice that makes the most sense in the sentence's context is "appearances . . . features." The other words all deal with more internal traits.

Example Question #4 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

For twenty years, nobody could smoke in the small town, as there was a __________ against any use of tobacco within the city’s _________.

Possible Answers:

ban . . . streets

law . . . hovels

disdain . . . restaurants

taboo . . . buildings

prohibition . . . limits

Correct answer:

prohibition . . . limits

Explanation:

Although it is difficult to find the best meaning for this sentence, it is relatively easy to ascertain the “least bad” one. Since nothing is said about the specific places in which people could not smoke, the safest answer will be the one that merely implies that one cannot smoke at all within the town (as is stated in the independent clause starting with “nobody”). The word “limits” functions best here, merely indicating that one cannot smoke within the city’s borders. The word “prohibition” does not merely mean the banning of alcohol, as many might think. It first means “to forbid something.” It is from this first meaning that the later laws were named. It is clearly related to “prohibit” but likewise has related English words like “rehabilitate” and “inhibition.”

Example Question #5 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Timothy found the whole ceremony to be nothing but a case of overblown __________ spewed from the mouth of a __________ who merely wanted to curry favor with the crowd.

Possible Answers:

rhetoric . . . demagogue

ingratiation . . . politician

linguistics . . . naysayer

oratory . . . narrator

verbiage . . . raconteur

Correct answer:

rhetoric . . . demagogue

Explanation:

The key words here are “wanted to curry favor with the crowd.” A “demagogue” is someone who argues to a crowd by appealing to their wishes and prejudices and not to logic. This negative sense is clearly communicated by the key expression. The word is derived from Greek roots meaning to lead the people. The “dem-” portion means people (taken as a whole, as the “crowds,” so to speak) and is found in English in words like “democracy.” The “-agogue” portion is found in many words that denote action. (The “g” sound often can harden into a “c,” and the Latinization of the Greek root here ultimately will give us many words that have not merely the “c” but a “-ct-” and hence “-act-”).

Rhetoric is the art of being convincing in speech or writing. While we often give it a negative connotation, it is really a neutral term. Here, it works well because of the good match made by “demagogue” in the second half of the sentence. 

Example Question #5 : Two Nouns In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Although John hated answering his __________, he looked them in the eyes and responded directly without any __________.

Possible Answers:

inquiries . . . alacrity

interrogators . . . obfuscation

progenitors . . . hesitancy

bosses . . . duplicity

servants . . . anger

Correct answer:

interrogators . . . obfuscation

Explanation:

All that we know is that someone is asking John things. No other details are given regarding those speaking to him; therefore, all we can say is that they are “interrogators”—people asking questions.

The word comes from Latin roots that ultimately mean to ask (or, more directly, to ask questions between persons—the “inter-” alters the meaning). The “-rog-“ portion comes from “rogare,” meaning to ask. There are many related words like “derogatory,” “rogation,” and “abrogate.”

The word “obfuscation” comes from the Latin “fuscus,” meaning “dark.”  Related words are rather obscure – “fuscine” and “fuscous.”  However, one can see how “obfuscation” (rendering something unclear or obscure) is related to being dark.

Example Question #11 : Two Nouns In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

After having suffered through the __________ of the war, Sebastian had great __________ in bearing with the hardships that he faced in his life.

Possible Answers:

shelling . . . ability

explosions . . . ability

despair . . . vexation

ravages . . . fortitude

bombings, courage

Correct answer:

ravages . . . fortitude

Explanation:

Do not assume any specificity unless you need to do so. For this question, a number of the options for the first blank specify more than you might be able to imply from the few details given in the sentence (e.g. “bombings”, “shelling,” and “explosions”). The case of “ravage” captures the general sense of destruction that would appropriately pair with the claim that Sebastian had an increased “fortitude” for dealing with hardships. The latter term is derived from the Latin for strong and is related to words like “fortify,” “force,” and “forte.”

Example Question #12 : Two Nouns In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Sometimes, when a man’s body does not produce adequate __________, that person can have significantly feminine __________.

Possible Answers:

calcium . . . countenance

hormones . . . outlook

androgens . . . attributes

secretions . . . disposition

hemoglobin . . . characteristics

Correct answer:

androgens . . . attributes

Explanation:

Here, the contrast is between the production of something related to being male and some potential female characteristics. The word “androgen” means “male hormone.” The first portion, “andro-” is related to the English “polyandry,” meaning “having many husbands” and is also related more generally to words having “anthro-” in them, such as “anthropology” and “misanthrope.” Note, that these latter terms do not necessarily imply being male. The “-gen” portion means “producing” as in words like “genesis” and “genetic.”

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